Vacuum filling apparatus



March 13, 1956 E, D. HAYGARTH VACUUM FILLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Sept. 25, 1952 I N VEN TOR. Byfauara fld daff QM,

( 7" 7" ORA f Y United States Patent VACUUM FILLING APPARATUS Edward D.Haygarth, Wrentham, Mass., assignor to Pneu matic Scale Corporation,Limited, Quincy, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationSeptember 25, 1952, Serial No. 311,488

Claims. (Cl. 226116) This invention relates to vacuum filling apparatus.

The invention has for an object to provide novel and improved vacuumfilling apparatus for filling containers with finely divided materialsand which is characterized by novel structure adapted to avoid in asimple and etficient manner the accumulation of fine particles of thematerial on the exterior of the container during the vacuum fillingoperation.

With this general object in view, and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the vacuum filling apparatushereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the endof this specification. 7

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional View of the present vacuum fillingapparatus for finely divided or comminuted materials and illustratingnovel valve mechanism for automatically controlling the flow of air tothe filling mechanism; I

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the valve mechanism shown in adilferent position of operation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cams for actuating the valve mechanism; and

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of vacuum filling apparatus embodyingthe present invention.

In general, the present invention contemplates an improvement in vacuumfilling apparatus of the type illus trated and described in the UnitedStates patent to Carter, No. 2,170,469 wherein a container to be filledis supported in operative relation to a filling head having a suctionopening therein connected to a source of vacuum, and also with amaterial inlet opening connected to a supply of the material, suchopenings communicating with the interior of the container to effectfilling thereof when the air in the container is evacuated. Provision isalso made in such prior apparatus for providing a shroud or coveringabout the outside of the container being filled, and for maintaining avacuum within the shroud to prevent collapse of the container during thefilling operation.

One of the disadvantages of such prior vacuum filling apparatus is thatthe vacuum lines to the interior of the container and to the shroudsurrounding the exterior of the container are connected to a valve orvacuum chamber in a manner such that any fine particles of material ordust drawn into the valve chamber during the vacuum filling operationmay be conducted from the valve chamber to the shroud when the vacuum iscut olf and the lines are opened to atmospheric pressure. In otherwords, in the operation of the prior art vacuum fillers, the air rushingin to fill the vacuum first passes through the dust-laden valve chamber,thus carrying the fine dust particles to the shroud to be deposited ontothe exterior of the container. Obviously, such dustcovered containersare objectionable to the packaging industry and to the consumer.

In accordance with 'the present invention, provision 2,738,119 PatentedMar. 13, 1956 ICC is made for by-passing the valve or vacuum chamberwhen the vacuum is cut off to permit fresh clean air to be drawn fromthe atmosphere into the shroud surrounding the container whereby theaccumulation of dust on the exterior of the container is eliminated.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 represents a vacuum filling headprovided with a depending shroud portion 12 open at its lower end andinto which a container 14 supported on a platform 16 may be elevated topresent the mouth of the container into airtight sealing engagement witha resilient sealing member 15 carried by the filling head, and topresent the platform 16 into airtight sealing engagement with the bottomor open end of the shroud portion 12. As herein shown, the lower end ofthe shroud portion may be provided with a flexible skirt 17 of rubber orlike material arranged to be drawn down into engagement with the surfaceof the platform 16 when suction is applied to assure an airtight sealwith the platform during the filling operation.

The filling head 10 is provided with a material inlet 18 communicatingwith the interior of the container, the inlet 18 being connected by apipe 20 to a materialsupply hopper 22. The filling head is also providedwith a suction opening'24 connected by an air line 26 to a valve orvacuum chamber 28 formed in a valve block 29. The chamber 28 is providedwith a suction inlet 30 connected by an air line 32 to a source ofvacuum, such as a vacuum pump, indicated diagrammatically at 34.

One wall of the shroud portion 12 is also provided with a suction inlet36 connected by air lines 38, 44) to a small chamber 42 formed in anextension 44 from the valve block 29, and the chamber 42 communicateswith a second small chamber 46 through a valve opening 48 in a wall 5t?of the extension. The second small chamber as is connected by abranchair line 52 with the vacuum line 26. Thus it will be seen that inoperation air is evacuated from the interior of the container by airline 26 connected to the valve chamber 28 to effect withdrawal ofmaterial from the inlet'lS into the container, and the air issimultaneously evacuated from the shroud surrounding the containerthrough air lines 38, 40, chambers 42, 46 and branch line 52, asillustrated in Fig. 1.

As herein illustrated, the suction inlet 30 to the valve chamber 28 isarranged to be automatically opened and closed by a valve 54 formed onthe end of a rod 56 which is slidingly mounted in the valve block 29,the outer end of the rod being provided with a cam roll 58 forcooperation with a cam 65) fast on a vertical cam shaft 62. The valverod 56 maybe spring pressed in a direction to open the suction inlet 30and to hold the roll 58 against its cam.

In order to open the chamber 28 and the airlines to the atmosphere, asecond cam-operated valve rod 64 is provided having a plurality ofvalves formed thereon for simultaneous operation. One valve 66 isarranged to open and close a valve opening 68 in the wall of the valveblock 29 for communication with a small chamber formed in the extension44, and a second valve 72 is arranged to open and close a valve opening74 formed in a partition wall 75 of the extension for communication withan atmospheric chamber 76 having a vent pipe opening 78. A third valveSi? mounted on the rod 64- is arranged to open and close the valveopening 48 formed in the partition wall 50. A partition wall 82separates the atmospheric chamber 76 fro-m the chamber at. The valve rod64 is slidingly mounted in the block 29 and in the partition wall 82 andis also provided with a cam roll 84 at its outer end for cooperationwith a cam 36 fast on the cam shaft 62. A coil spring 88 interposedbetween a collar 90 on the rod and an upstanding partition 92 in thevalve block serves to urge the rod in a therewith and which is connectedto the air line 33 leading to the shroud 12 about the exterior of thecontainer. Thus, in operation when the vacuum inlet 30 is cut off at theend of the filling operation by closing the valve 54, the valve chamber28 and the air lines are opened to the atmosphere by operation of thevalve rod 64 to open valves 66, 72 and to close valve 39, such positionof the valves being shown in Fig. 2. As a result, clean air atatmospheric pressure is permitted to enter through the vent pipe 78,valve opening 74 and chamber 75 from which the clean air enters theby-pass air line 94 and line 38 to the shroud. Simultaneously therewithair enters the valve chamber 28 through opening 63 from the chamber 70,and the air in chamber 23 passes through air line 26 to the interior ofthe container.

It will thus be seen that since the chambers 76, 7%, which are closedoff during the filling operation, are free of dust-laden air, no dust iscarried to the shroud by the inrushing air at atmospheric pressure whenthe vent chamber 76 is opened. Also, any dust-laden air which may becarried through branch line 52 into chamber 46 during the ventingoperation cannot enter the chamber 42 communicating with the shroud airline 40 since the valve 80 is closed at this time, and thereafter whenthe suction is again applied and valve 80 opened, the direction oftravel of the air is reversed so that any such dust-laden air is removedby the vacuum through branch line 52 to enter the valve chamber 28 andpass to the vacuum pump to be exhausted. With this construction it willbe seen that the shroud 12 and the shroud air lines are maintained freeof dust-laden air at all times, thus preventing accumulation of dust onthe exterior of the container. Y

The vacuum filling apparatus is herein illustrated as embodied in afilling machine having an incoming supply conveyor 100 by whichsuccessive containers 14 may be advanced into operative relation to apusher 102 arranged to transfer successive foremost containers from theconveyor onto the platform 16 when the latter is in its loweredpositionresting on the lateral supports indicated at 104, 106. Thepusher 102 may be connected by linkage 108 to an arm 110 pivotallymounted at 112, and a second arm 114 is provided with a roller 116 forcooperation with a cam 118 fast on a cam shaft 120. The platform 16 ismounted on the end of a rod 122 mounted for reciprocation in a bearing124. The lower end of the rod 122 is connected by a link 126 to an arm128 rockingly mounted at 130, and a second arm 132 is provided with acam roll 134 for cooperation with a cam 136 also fast on the cam shaft120. The usual springs, not shown, maybe connected to the cam-roll arms114 and 132 for holding the rolls against their respective cams. Asherein indicated, the cam shafts may be driven through any usual orpreferred driving mechanism including a chain and sprocket drive 138 toa shaft 140 which may be connected to drive the cam shaft 120 throughbevel gears 142, and the vertical cam shaft 62 may be similarlyconnected to the drive shaft through bevel gears 144.

In operation, a container placed on the platform 16 is elevated intoairtight relation with the filling head and the shroud 12, as described,and after the filling operation the platform is again lowered, thefilled container being transferred onto an outgoing conveyer 146 to bedelivered from the machine. A new container is placed on the platform bythe pusher 102, as described, and the cycle is repeated. In practice,the pusher 102 and the conveyors 100, 146 may be arranged so that thetransfer of a new container onto the platform 16 will effect-pushing ofthe filled container onto the outgoing conveyer.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the cams 60, 86 are provided with a pluralityof cutouts 148 and high spots 150 respectively for alternately reversingthe path of the air through the vacuum head several times each cycle ofoperation in order to provide successive partial filling and packingoperations during each cycle of operation to progressively fill thecontainer for most efficient vacuum filling performance.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a modified form of vacuum filling apparatusembodying the present invention may include separate independentlyoperated valve or vacuum chambers for communication with the interior ofthe container and the shroud portion respectively. As herein shown, thefilling head 200 is provided with a suction opening 202 connected by anair line 204 to a valve or vacuum chamber 206 formed in a valve block208. The chamber 206 is provided with a suction inlet 210 connected byan air line 212 to a vacuum pump indicated at 214 for evacuating thechamber 206 and the interior of the container to effect the fillingoperation. The suction inlet 210 is arranged to be automatically openedand closed by a cam-operated valve 216, as shown, and thecontainer-evacuating valve chamber 206 is also provided with anatmospheric inlet 218 which may also be automatically opened and closedby a second cam-operated valve 220.

A wall of the depending shroud portion 222 of the filling head 200 isprovided with a suction inlet 224 which is connected by an air line 226to a similar valve or vacuum chamber 228 formed in a second valve block230. The shroud-evacuating vacuum chamber 228 is also provided with asuction inlet 232 connected by an air line 234 to the vacuum pump 214,and is also provided with an atmospheric inlet 236, each of the inlets232, 236 being similarly controlled by cam-operated valves 238, 240respectively. The valve-operating cams shown in Fig. 4 may andpreferably will be similar to the valve-operating cams shown in Fig. 3and are preferably arranged for simultaneous operation of thecorresponding valves of their respective chambers.

In the operation of the modified form of the apparatus as shown in Fig.4, it will be seen that the suction inlet valves 216, 238 may besimultaneously opened by their respective cams to evacuate the interiorof the container and the shroud independently. Thereafter, the valves216, 238 may be closed and the valves 220, 240 may be simultaneouslyopened to independently open the interior of the container and theshroud portion to the atmosphere. Obviously, since the air line theinterior of the container and the air line to the shroud portion areentirely independent, the shroud-evacuating valve chamber 228 is free ofdust at all times so that accumulation of dust on the exterior of thecontainer is avoided when the shroud is opened to the atmosphere.

While the invention is herein shown as embodied in a single-head vacuumfilling machine, it will be apparent that in practice the present valvemechanism may be employed in a multiple-head machine, such as acontinuously operated rotary vacuum filling machine wherein each valveblock may be provided with a clean air by-pass for the shroud, asdescribed.

From the above description it will be seen that the present inventionprovides a clean air by-pass line-for conducting clean air directly fromthe atmosphere to the shroud without passing through the valve or vacuumchamber connected to the interior of the container whereby to preventdust-laden air from being carried to the shroud and deposited onto theexterior of the container.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be under stood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. In avacuum filling machine for filling containers with finely dividedsolid materials, a filling head having a material inlet opening and asuction opening for communication with the interior of a container, ashroud portion for surrounding the exterior of the container and alsoprovided with a suction opening, means for moving the container intoairtight and sealed relation to said filling head and to said shroudportion, a source of suction, means forevacuating the interior of thecontainer after the latter has been moved into said sealed position, andmeans for controlling the fiow of air to said filling head and saidshroud portion including a vacuum chamber and vacuumizing linesoperatively connected to said source of suction and to said filling headand said shroud portion, means for admitting air at atmospheric pressureto said vacuum chamber and said filling head including a clean airchamber in non-communicating relation to said vacuum chamber and saidvacuumizing lines during the vacuumizing and filling operation and aby-pass line connected between said' clean air chamber and said shroudportion for admitting clean air at atmospheric pressure to said shroudportion.

2. In a vacuum filling machine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having a material inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of acontainer, said filling head having a shroud portion for surrounding theexterior of the container and also provided with a suction opening, meanfor moving the container into airtight and sealed relation to saidfilling head and to said shroud portion, vacuum-producing meansconnected to the interior of the container after the latter has beenmoved into sealing position including a chamber and vacuumizing linesoperatively connected to said filling head and said shroud portion,means for admitting air at atmospheric pressure to said chamber and saidfilling head including a clean air chamber in non-communicating relationto saidvacuum chamber and said vacuumizing lines during the vacuumizingand filling operation, and a by-pass line connected between said cleanair chamber and said shroud portion for admitting clean air atatmospheric pressure to said shroud portion.

3. In a vacuum filling machine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having a material inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of acontainer, said filling head having a shroud portion for surrounding theexterior of the container and also provided with 'a suction opening,means for moving the container into airtight and sealed relation to saidfilling head and to said shroud portion, a source of suction, means forevacuating the interior of the container after it has been moved intosealing position, and means for controlling the flow of air to saidfilling head and said shroud portion including a vacuum chamberconnected to the source of suction, air lines connecting the vacuumchamber to the filling head and to the shroud portion, a clean airatmospheric chamber, said clean air chamber being in non-communicatingrelation to said vacuum chamber and air lines during the vacuumizing andfilling operation, valve means for closing I cluding cam-operated meansfor automatically actuating said valve means to successively create avacuum in the filling head and shroud portion and to admit air atatmospheric pressure thereto.

5. A vacuum filling machine as defined in claim 3 including means forelevating the container and its support- 6 ing means into and out ofoperative relation'to saidfilling head and said shroud portionrespectively.

6. In a vacuum filling machine of the character described having afilling head and a shroud portion and means for moving a container inairtight relation to the filling head and shroud portion,vacuum-producing means for evacuating the interior of the containerafter it has been moved into sealing position including a vacuum chamberoperatively connected to a source of vacuum, air lines connecting thevacuum chamber to the filling head and the shroud, means .for admittingair at atmospheric pressure to'the vacuum chamber and the filling headat the end of the filling operation including a clean air chamberinnon-communicating relation to said vacunm chamber and said vacuumizingair lines during the filling operation, means for closing the air linebetween the vacuum chamber and the shroud, and a by-pass line connectedbetween said clean air chamber and said shroud portion for admittingclean air at atmospheric pressure to said shroud whereby to preventdust-laden air in said vacuum chamber'from being carried to said shroudportion and deposited on the exterior of the container when the vacuumchamber and the vacuumizing air lines are opened to atmosphericpressure.

7. In a vacuum filling machine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having a material inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of thecontainer, a shroud portion surrounding the exterior of the containerand also provided with a suction opening, means for moving the containerin airtight relation to said filling head and to said shroud portion,vacuum-producing means operative to evacuate the interior of thecontainer after it has been moved into sealing position includingconnections including a vacuum chamber operatively connected to thevacuum-producing means and the filling head, means including a clean airchamber for admitting air at atmospheric pressure into said vacuumchamber and thence to said filling head, said clean air chamber beinginnon-communicating relation to said vacuum chamber during the vacuumizingand filling operation, and means operatively connected to said clean airchamber and independent of said vacuum chamber for admitting clean airat atmospheric pressure to said shroud portion.

8. In a vacuum filling machine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having a material inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of thecontainer, a shroud portion surrounding the exterior of the containerand also provided with a suction opening, means for moving the containerinto airtight relation to said filling head and to said shroud portion,a source of suction, means for connecting the source of suction and saidfilling head to vacuumize the interior of the container after the latterhas been moved into sealing position, mean for simultaneouslyvacuumizing the shroud portion around the container, means including aclean air chamber for admitting atmospheric air to Within the containerat the end of the filling operation, said clean air chamber being innon-communicating relation to said filling head vacuumizing means duringthe vacuumizing and filling operation, and by-pass means connecting saidclean air chamber to said shroud portion for admitting clean atmosphericair directly into the shroud at thelend of the filling operation,independently of said container-vacuumizing means. I

9. In a vacuum filling machine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having a material inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of thecontainer, a shroud portion surrounding the exterior of the containerand also provided with a suction opening, means for moving the containerinto airtight relation to said filling head and said shroud portion,vacuum-producing means operative to evacuate the container after it hasbeen moved into sealing position, including two separate vacuum chamberscomprising a filling head vacuum chamber operatively connected to thefilling head, and a 'shroud'portion vacuum :chamberoperatively'connected to the shroud portion, a common source of vacuumconected to said two chambers, each of said chambers havingindependently operated means for admitting air at atmospheric pressurethrough their respective chambers and to the fillinghead and shroudportion, whereby to admit clean air at atmospheric pressure into saidshroud portion and avoid the passage of dust-laden air from the fillinghead vacuum chamber to said shroudzportion.

10. In a vacuum fillingmachine for filling containers with finelydivided solid materials, a filling head having amaterial inlet openingand a suction opening for communication with the interior of acontainer, a shroud portion' for surrounding the exterior of thecontainer and also provided with a suction opening, means for moving thecontainer into airtight and sealed relation to said filling head and tosaid shroud portion, a source of suction, means for evacuating theinterior of the container after the latter has been moved into saidseated position, means for controlling the flow of air to said fillinghead and said shroud portion including vacuumizing lines .operativelyconnected between the source of suction and said filling head and saidshroud portion, and means for admitting air at atmospheric pressure tosaid lines including a clean air chamber operatively connected to saidshroud line, said clean air chamber being in non-communicating relationto said filling head during the vacuumizing and fillingoperation wherebyto admit clean air at atmospherie pressure to said shroud portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,386,887 Malmquist Aug. 9, 1921 2,302,693 Hoar Nov. 24, 1942 2,428,598Weaver Oct. 7, 1947 2,448,733 -Peebles et a1. Sept. 7, 1948 2,603,398Fischer et a1. July 15, 1952 2,613,864 Carter Oct; 14, 1952

